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Well, I have seen my nutritionist and all is well and life is good. The only thing is she insists that I eat more fruit for more energy during the day; however, I am on the Atkins Diet and fruits are not on the menu. I can understand the sentiment, but I have found that if I eat a little fruit, then it will be more fruit and then cakes, ice creams, pies and chocolate and more and more and more Oh my. Lions and Tigers and Bears … In other words, no I must stick to my diet and hold off, if not forever and a day, at least for the rest of my life. I have been thru it before glorious and I won’t play the game again.

The Nuvigil is working great and I have more energy and get things done for that day, which I could not do before. I do think it was the coffee or the caffeine that was also offsetting my daily mental and physical cycle, but I am off that now and the Nuvigil is the next best thing to caffeine. No side effects as of yet. Now I can set goals like get my degree, do more art classes, get a great job, blab, blab, blab… Life is good and Life is great. For Thanks Giving, I plan to have a turkey and fish dinner with salad. No desert except the love of losing weight and staying fit. My weight has stabilized at 160 lbs. and according to my nutritionist, that is a good weight, but I would like to have more muscle and even less fat. I want to look like a hotter that I already am. May you all have a Happy Holiday, a lovely Thanks Giving and a great weekend.

David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., and Cara B. Ebbeling, Ph.D.From the Optimal Weight for Life Program, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital; and the Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.

N Engl J Med 2010; 363:2159-2161November 25, 2010

Many people can lose weight in the short term by reducing their intake of calories with the use of a variety of diets, ranging from low-fat to very-low-carbohydrate. However, few people successfully maintain their weight loss.1 One explanation for the poor efficacy of conventional diets relates to psychological factors, since the motivation to adhere to restrictive regimens diminishes with time, especially in an environment with virtually instantaneous availability of food. A second, perhaps more fundamental, explanation is that weight loss elicits physiological adaptations — principally an increase in hunger and a decrease in resting energy expenditure2 — that oppose ongoing weight loss.

In the search for more effective strategies, diets that are low in glycemic index and moderately high in protein merit special consideration. The glycemic index describes the way in which foods affect blood glucose levels in the postprandial period, controlled for the amount of carbohydrate.3 The glycemic load, the arithmetic product of the glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrate, predicts postprandial glycemic response among foods with widely varying carbohydrate contents.4 Most highly processed grain products have a high glycemic index, whereas minimally processed grains, whole fruits, legumes, and nonstarchy vegetables tend to have a moderate or low glycemic index.

The mechanisms relating glycemic response to the regulation of body weight have been examined in controlled feeding studies.5 Meals with a low glycemic index or glycemic load elicit acute hormonal and metabolic changes that may decrease hunger and energy intake. During weight loss, a reduction in glycemic load may attenuate the decline in resting energy expenditure that is thought to promote weight regain.6 Recently, a meta-analysis indicated that diets in which there was a reduction in the glycemic index produced moderately more weight loss than control diets,7 although the quality of the clinical trials has been limited by their small size, a failure to show adherence to treatment, and confounding.

The glycemic response to carbohydrates is lowered when protein is ingested simultaneously, since protein delays gastric emptying and stimulates insulin secretion. Protein also displaces carbohydrates, as opposed to fat, from the diet because foods high in protein are also typically high in fat. Therefore, higher-protein diets tend to have a reduced glycemic load and might promote weight loss, at least in part, through the mechanisms discussed above.

In addition, diets that are based on these principles may be less psychologically burdensome, because they do not severely restrict any macronutrient or major food group. However, the 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee considers the effectiveness of reducing the glycemic index to be unproven. Similarly, there is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal protein level for achieving and maintaining weight loss. A study in this issue of the Journal from the Diet, Obesity, and Genes (Diogenes) project8 addresses these knowledge gaps.

Investigators from eight European countries randomly assigned 773 participants who had lost at least 8% of their initial body weight to one of four test diets, using a two-by-two factorial design (low-glycemic-index vs. high-glycemic-index diets and low-protein vs. high-protein diets), or to a fifth, control, diet. Assessment of dietary intake showed that there was a modest difference of about 5 glycemic-index units between the low-glycemic-index and high-glycemic-index groups and a difference of about 5 percentage points in protein content between the high-protein and low-protein groups. After 6 months, body weight differed by about 2 kg among the groups, with a direct relationship to glycemic load — lowest in the group assigned to the low-glycemic-index–high-protein diet, intermediate in the groups assigned to the low-glycemic-index–low-protein and the high-glycemic-index–high-protein diets, and highest in the group assigned to the high-glycemic-index–low-protein diet. Of note, study completion rates were significantly better among participants in the low-glycemic-index and high-protein diet groups.

The study has several notable strengths, including the large number of participants and a multicenter, multinational design, providing evidence of effectiveness and generalizability. The apparent control for treatment intensity and behavioral methods across groups (although not across countries) allows for a fair testing of dietary hypotheses. Furthermore, the investigative team appears to have had scientific balance; one senior member had espoused a skeptical view of the glycemic index,9 providing confidence that the study was conducted and interpreted without unconscious bias. The primary limitation of the study is the short duration of follow-up. A 2-kg difference in body weight, by itself, has limited practical implications. But a diet that could effectively prevent weight regain over the long term would have major public health significance. In this regard, the 12-month and longer follow-up data will be informative.

The observed effects on body weight were obtained from small mean differences in glycemic index and protein among the groups. In principle, more powerful methods for effecting behavioral change and improved availability of low-glycemic-index foods may facilitate the long-term adoption of diets with a substantially lower glycemic load and result in larger effects on body weight. Moreover, a low-glycemic-index diet may reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease independently of body weight,5 and data addressing this possibility will be forthcoming from the Diogenes trial.

The present study contrasts, but does not necessarily conflict, with data reported by Sacks et al.,10 who assigned 811 people to one of four diets that differed in the percentage of total energy derived from carbohydrate, protein, and fat. In contrast to the protocol in the Diogenes trial, participants in all four groups were counseled to consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. Similar to the results in the Diogenes trial, the protein content of the diets at 6 months differed by only about 5 percentage points. After 2 years, no significant difference in body weight was found among the groups, although among subjects who completed the study, those who consumed higher-protein diets weighed about 1 kg less than those who consumed lower-protein diets (P=0.11).10 Together, these two studies suggest that the ratio of carbohydrate to fat has relatively little importance for weight control among persons consuming a low-glycemic-index diet, and higher protein intake may have additional benefits.

The Diogenes study provides reassurance regarding three long-standing concerns about glycemic index: that measured values apply to individual foods only and have no relevance to mixed meals, that effects observed in clinical trials arise from confounding by macronutrients or fiber, and that the concepts are confusing and impractical for the general public. Indeed, the higher study-completion rate in the low-glycemic-index groups provides compelling evidence of the practicality of low-glycemic-index diets.

Several recent clinical trials have shown no significant difference in weight loss among various popular diets, leading to the notion that dietary composition is less important than adherence to a diet, whatever it might be. However, this conclusion does not consider the fundamental relationship between psychology and physiology. A person's ability to maintain adherence over time may be influenced by the way in which a diet affects hunger and metabolism. Additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which dietary composition regulates body weight and to devise novel strategies to effect behavioral changes.

I have sinned, in the diet sense, and I had gotten off the Atkins Diet for Thanks Giving Day. Well, Atkins does allow for a little cheating, so no big deal. Either way, I had slices, all be it small, of apple crumb and pecan pies and enjoyed it. I had skipped the sweet and baked potatoes, but I enjoyed the meal with friends. This is the way I like to have my sweets, for if I can have them on Thanks Giving, Christmas and my birthday, then it is no big deal. I have given up on breaded fried fish and shrimp for I need to eat more healthy and I am allergic to shrimp any way. Who knows what other effects it has on my body. I recently gave up eggs for I suspect that it is making my arthritis in my hips flare up more. The Nuvigil fatigue fighting drug does take away the fatigue that the Atripla causes and I am more energetic and lively for my volunteer work. Life is grand indeed.

My weight has stayed around 160 to 164 pounds and I still like to gain more muscle. My workouts are going well and I just love the way I look in the mirror. I do push myself for ego reasons and I like to challenge myself. Well, have a good time and enjoy. Happy Holidays.yours,red_Dragon888

Well anyway, life has been grand and there is more to come and more to give. The Atkins Diet is working out wonderfully, and with the workouts, climbing machine, and from time to time, a good olde hour walk, the body is keeping in better shape that when I was in my twenties. Of course, I did not know that I had sugar addiction, problem digesting foods and other issues, but that is in the past and now it is time to look toward the future.

This Sunday I did the unthinkable. I had a medium size pizza and WOW, what a feeling. I thought my head was going through some chemical changes an hour after that meal. I think that the elements of the pizza, sorry, but I have to break it down to the molecular level always, some how help the brain make more connections. I swear that I saw and felt electricity surging thru my head. It was the weekend and even though I promise myself not to stray from the diet, I just felt like pizza and I had one. After all, Dr. Atkins did say one could return to the foods one likes and as long as one does not to over do it. Therefore, I followed that advice and the guilt went its merry way to a place of comfort. Now I don’t see my diet as a “Boot Camp” style of eating. Now I see it as a more flexible and natural way of eating.

Actually, it is the winter months that I was most afraid of for that is when I usually get physically and mentally depress in which food is one of my choices for comfort. I still hover around 160 to 163 lbs. and I feel motivated to work out at the gym but I am not a fanatic. The chest and arms looks sexy good and the legs need more attention, which is why the time limit for the legs is six months. After that, they got to go…

Now everything seems so simple. Before, it was a struggle to lose the weight. I did some things that were healthy, like work out until I drop, starvation, diet pills. The other things I did were not so healthy and almost killed me, so I survived to tell the tale for you to listen, I guess. My hopes for the future are to become more flexible with yoga and stretching and to run like a marathon man by the climbing and running machine. Oh yeah, and look like Arnold back in the seventies when he was Mr. Universe…

The pains in my hips are still there and a flare up does happen, but I am so glad that I did not get the hip replacement surgery that the doctors were pushing me towards for profit. Even the nurses were saying it was no big deal. Sorry, but after I heard that the replacements were only good for ten years and after that I would be wheelchair bound I thought “Hell No.” Besides, no one is going to cut me up like a Thanks Giving turkey. Now I can walk and I take glucosamine and chondroitin for the joints in hopes it will repair the damage areas. After all, last June I was using a cane and felt pain with every step. Now I can walk the distance without any problems. There is days when there is a slight pain, but that I can handle. It is not as it was before when even waking up was painful. Just getting out of bed was full of mind numbing pain. Thank goodness, I found away with the weight lost and proper stretching.

So, that is my update and I hope it wasn’t boring. I hope that if you are looking to lose weight, do it with care and make sure you have a doctor to monitor your progress. I hope you all have a wonderful week and may good things come your way. Happy Holidays to All and to All a good night.

Post Holiday Diet will start Dec 26th: Low Carb (only will allow myself a few carbs during one hour each day), with free weight workout, bicycling, and end of the day sauna. I dont fit in my skinny jeans at this point but hope to by the time I meet many of you in Seattle this coming August.

Post Holiday Diet will start Dec 26th: Low Carb (only will allow myself a few carbs during one hour each day), with free weight workout, bicycling, and end of the day sauna. I dont fit in my skinny jeans at this point but hope to by the time I meet many of you in Seattle this coming August.

Well, be careful for over doing it has its risks. Getting into the skinny jeans is one point, while the other points are to develop good eating habits, get heart healthy, watch the cholesterol levels, watch the salt, and stay healthy. To overindulge in the wrong foods or drinks, even for a short time, sounds like a giant step backwards and could be dangerous in the long or short run. So really think about what is the cost of "Binge Eating."

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance with all the trimmings… That is the quest and the journey all wrapped up in one, for the keep the slim form is to remember to eat right most of the time or at least do not let the food intake get out of hand. Now in this journey of a new slim body, there is the possibility that there is Candida over population in the bowels of the body, which can cause sugar urges. To combat this, one must avoid milk products, vinegar, nuts, sugar and starches, for that is its food with the intake of acidophilus and probiotics to fight the infestation. It is a war of infinite proportion and the worst war yet for it may have been chief culprit of the sugar cravings. If memory serves correctly, this has been a problem since early childhood, which took hold with all the candies, cakes, ice creams, et cetera, that has been consumed to not only feed the craving of hunger, physical and mental, but also the over population of Candida in the stomach.

It is funny, that this entity can somehow send out signals to the brain-body to convince it that “sugar good” and “more chocolate please.” It may sound a bit over dramatic, but that is how it feels. It is like having a sneaky little “cookie monster” hiding in the body pulling ones strings insidiously. Let the war begin, and let the best man or bacterium win. Of course, it is also a long-term battle for Candida has the distinct ability to regroup back to its full negative potential. Therefore, if Candida is the problem, there is a solution to lower it population. Hopefully, slow and steady will win the war.

Happy Holidays and hope all is well with you all. After talking with a psychiatrist, he recommends that I see a gastrointestinal professional to check on my condition of stomach problems. I hope he can give me good advice for I have had this problem since I was eight and I thought was it. Apparently, the GI guy can better determine my condition and help me find a cure. I feel that I am allergic to the chemicals or bacterium in the stomach. If not allergic than I am sensitive to the chemicals leaking back into my system. I guess it could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Leaky Gut Syndrome. I almost feel like I am seeing a “Witch Doctor” to cure my ailment for I never thought that this could be cured. I hope that I am wrong.

As for the diet, I think I am getting slimmer. The only two pairs of slim pants that I own are not a little big. They must be 32 inch or 33 inch but the pants feel big. I even have to wear slim/small shirts. I may have to resort to boys’ sizes at this rate. I do feel that I could lose another inch on the legs and some on the waist. I am perfectly healthy, with good numbers. I have never been this slim this long and I am getting worried. I will not go back to my old was of eating, but I guess there was some comfort being heavy. For one, I never felt my ribs before. Now I feel them all the time and it reminds me of pork, beef or lamb ribs. Therefore, I have to convince myself that this is the way my body is suppose to be. Slim, low cholesterol and low salt... It is so hard to be immortal.

Either way, it is a journey that I have taken and must complete. I hope to be this slim by August end, then it is to Miami beaches.

I hope you all are enjoying your Holiday and Hope you have a Brilliant New Year.

I was wondering if you have ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder ?

No. I think I have a system that thrives on sugar when taken in excess makes me fat, and when the sugar is low, thrives on fat. I am not starving myself for I eat chicken or fish, vegetables and salad with every meal and drink K-PAX protein/vitamin drink twice a day. I just never imagined that my legs and ass were that slim for they were always big. I mean waist 39" big. My waist line can not go below 29" for there is no where else to go but I can pinch an inch on my legs. The funny thing is that I thought I was maintaining, but my system has other plans. I will see my doctor Monday and see what he says. Thanks for the concern though. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Well, be careful for over doing it has its risks. Getting into the skinny jeans is one point, while the other points are to develop good eating habits, get heart healthy, watch the cholesterol levels, watch the salt, and stay healthy. To overindulge in the wrong foods or drinks, even for a short time, sounds like a giant step backwards and could be dangerous in the long or short run. So really think about what is the cost of "Binge Eating."

Good Point RD! I suppose I did exaggerate a bit in that post. We had many goodies over the holidays and while I did not overindulge, I did enjoy a smorgasbord of delights. The extra weight gained over that period is now gone (thanks to sensible eating and increased exercise). I limit my carb intake to just one hour each day and find that is the best plan for me.

OK... done with the cheese -- I'm moving on to brandy filled chocolates

You are being so... decadent.

In the meantime we had a bowl of oatmeal with blackberries, an egg-white (with mushrooms) omelette and a cuppa rooibos tea.

Rev. Moon & Mr. Hung

Logged

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Just finished a serving of roasted turkey, wild rice, and peas. The dark chocolate will have to wait until later this afternoon when I have my 'reward' hour. Now its time for an afternoon walk.... I dont run unless something is chasing me.

I just smoked a blunt and into my second pot of coffee, watching the Seattle Seahawks get decimated by the Chicago Bears. Miss P, MTV will be airing an extra episode tomorrow night of Jersey Shore. We get a double dose this week..

omg... I just ate that entire box of brandy chocolates in about 8 hours. Should I now move on to my pandan leaf and dark chocolate ice cream?

Somebody's gon' have a major case of explosive-D if they keep at it.

Logged

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Earlier after I smoked that blunt I got a taste for some deviled eggs. I ate an entire dozen... it doesn't feel real good. This is going to be a record, I know it. I already checked the rules here and it doesn't say anything against posting those kind of pictures.

A dozen? I wouldn't wanna be anywhere near ya and the nasty gas you're probably experiencing. You are like a bio-weapon waiting to blow up.

I was a good boy today. Ate apples, turkey, brown rice, a banana, some fantastic cheese from the gourmet shop in the Grove, and a salad.

Time now for a delicious late snack consisting of some yoghurt and AIDS meds.

Logged

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

I love those little grapefruit spoons, and yes, I just used one to scoop out all that juicy goodness. Maybe its just my imagination, but the citrus from FL this year is better than I can remember it being for years (full of juice and flavor).

lol I am on and off the low carb diet, mostly off because the winter make me weak for sweets. I did buy skinny or thin jeans and I refuse to out-size them. Winter is tough here in NYC. I mean 20 degrees, come on...